How can I connect a TV to my MBPro?

I would like to use a TV as an external monitor for my MBPro. What ports are needed on a TV and what cables are needed? I am planning to get a 24" or so TV to do this and would like to be able to play DVD thru the MBPRO to the TV if desired. Also, I'm open to suggestions for the TV brand for consideration.

It's pretty straightforward. If you have a recent MacBook Pro, your Mac has Mini DisplayPort (Thunderbolt port) for video out, so one end of your cable should be Mini DisplayPort. The other end should be HDMI for your TV. Such a cable costs about $7 plus shipping at Monoprice.com, though they have them at Amazon too.

It's been possible to play DVDs from a Mac laptop to a TV for over 10 years now, so that part will be easy too. What usually confuses people is they plug in the TV and there's nothing on the screen except a blank desktop. That's because it's extending the desktop of the laptop. Just drag the DVD window over to the TV screen and go into full screen mode, and then you're set.

You can customize how any external display is connected (monitor, TV, projector...) using the Displays system preference panel.

As far as the TV, if it's only for DVD watching you can buy anything with an HDMI port on it. If it's for photo editing, you'll want one with color fidelity comparable to a computer monitor, not sure which brands that would be but you'd want to try to find some technical reviews.

If you've a MBP with one of the more recent OSses then consider AppleTV - way more than a $7 cable (you'll need an HDMI cable between AppleTV box and TV) but along with a router will allow you to use your TV wirelessly (reflecting anything you do on your MBP, ipad or iphone) and mean that you can stream your films without having to muck about with plastic circles

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